Wafflemania!


March 10, 2024  •  No Comments

Once in a while, I get a craving for waffles and then nothing else will do. I don’t need to worry about food allergies, but I know any number of people on gluten-free diets who have had to avoid the toasty decadence of this brunch favorite. 

 

In an effort to end this tragic situation, I got together with a friend and tried three different gluten-free waffle recipes to see what we could learn. Note:  we greased the waffle irons with olive oil for all the recipes

In the picture, from left to right, are recipes #1, #3, and #2. Note #1 used a small waffle iron.

Test Recipe #1:

My go-to recipe is from a 1907 Lowney’s cookbook. The page is covered with stains and splashes, which indicates it was used a lot. As is more common in these old recipes, it’s sugar-free and so can be used for sweet or savory combos–and if I’m smothering my breakfast in syrup anyway, I don’t need sweetness in the batter. The real secret to this recipe is whipping the eggs whites and folding them in last. This gives the waffle a fluffy, light tenderness that remained in a gluten free state. The only change I made was substituting Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 baking flour.

Sift:

2 cups of flour (gluten free, see above)

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt.

Add:

3 tablespoons melted butterFrontispiece of cookbook

1 cup plus 1/3 cup milk

3 egg yolks

Beat the egg whites to a stiff peak and fold into the batter.  Cook to golden brown perfection!

Test Recipe #2:

Sift:

1.5 cups amaranth flour

1/4 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup arrowroot flour

1 tsp baking powder

pinch each of salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg

In another bowl, mix:

1/3 cup apple juice

3 beaten eggs

1 tablespoon melted butter or vegetable oil

1/3 cup water

Add the dry ingredients into the wet and mix thoroughly. Add more liquid if the batter is too thick. Proceed to the waffle iron.

Test Recipe #3:

Follow Recipe #2, but use teff flour instead.

Our Findings:

All three recipes produced waffles that could be frozen and reheated. The first recipe was very close to a “traditional” waffle. The teff waffles had a nice nutty flavor, but were quite dense. These would be best served with a juicy berry mixture or other topping that needs a firmer base. I would like to try this one again and beat the egg whites separately as per recipe #1. The amaranth waffles were also sturdy, but had a lighter flavor I liked a lot.  I think there’s more experimenting to be done, but overall this session produced a tasty product sensitive to gluten-free requirements.


Pesto!


February 20, 2022  •  1 Comment

As a follow up to our previous post about basil, here is my favorite pesto recipe. Substitutions are easy–if pine nuts are too expensive, walnuts, toasted pumpkin seeds, orpesto any combo of the three can be used. If basil is not in season, I’ve used spinach or a blend of spinach and arugula for a punchier sauce.

Put into blender or food processor:

  • 4 cups of basil or other greens (such as spinach, parsley, arugula and/or other fresh herbs)
  • Crushed fresh garlic (3 cloves) or good-quality powdered garlic to taste
  • Half cup pine nuts or other nut/seed combo
  • Scant cup of grated parmesan cheese
  • Dash of lemon juice

Blend the above until smooth, adding olive oil to thin to the desired consistency (about 1/3 to 1/2 cup).

Pesto literally means “paste” and can be treated like any other condiment. It’s brilliant on pasta, but can also be combined with yogurt to make a great salad dressing. I also use it as a flavoring in wraps and sandwiches or as a veggie dip.